BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a musical chime device that may play one or more of a plurality of selected melodies. The musical chime device includes a switch means connectable to a power source, a power circuit connected to the switch means, a tone generating circuit connected to the power circuit, a musical card or printed board circuit having a number of metallic contact areas of varying length and of varying spacing from adjacent contact areas connected to conducting paths to the edge connector or terminal, the printed board circuit terminals are connected to the tone generating circuit, to activate some or all of the various frequencies that may be produced in the tone generating means, movable connecting means for sweeping over the contact areas and grounding the tone generating circuit, amplifier means connected to the output of the tone generating circuit, and a speaker connected to the amplifier means for producing the melody on the particular printed board circuit.
The edge connector of the printed board circuit is wired so that the movable connecting means will ground the tone generating circuit in order to actuate the audio oscillator to provide an output to the amplifier means and the speaker in a manner to provide an output melody. The length of each contacting area on the printed board circuit and the spacing between each adjacent area and the speed of the movable connecting means in conjunction with the generator determines the particular melody to be played. The length of the contact areas for a full note of the musical score may be twice as long as a half note or four times as long as a quarter note. Notes of various lengths may be produced. The length of the pause or spacing between contact areas are proportioned by varying the length of the spacing to provide the proper melody. The contact areas may be positioned in a circular path to be easily swept by a rotating contact arm driven by a motor. The motor slowly rotates the arm at a particular speed to place the distal end of the arm with contact means in position to make electrical contact with each contact area on the printed board circuit, in order to cause the audio tone to be heard in the same sequence as the melody of the musical score on the printed board circuit. The melody may be changed by simply removing the printed board circuit and replacing it with a printed board circuit having a different contact area pattern and spacing to produce a new melody. The printed board circuit may have varying circuit terminal connections to vary the frequency of the oscillations produced at the output of the tone generator.
It is an object of this device to produce interchangeable short melody card or record in the form of a printed board circuit.
Another object of this invention is to produce a melody card having contact areas sized and spaced to provide the length, sequence and pauses between the tones being played.
Another object of this device is to provide pull out replaceable printed circuit board melody card that selects the tone to be reproduced.
A further object of this device is to provide a door chime device having an interchangeable short melody record.
A further object of this invention is to provide a door chime device having a pull out replaceable printed circuit board melody record.
A further object of this device is to provide a clock chime device having an interchangeable short melody record.
A further object of this invention is to provide a clock chime device having a pull out replaceable printed circuit board melody record.
In accordance with these and other objects which will be apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawing.